Wikipedia and the Clans Clan and family societies expect that their websites are the primary source of information about their clans and families online – but that is not always the case. Depending on your website search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, your website may not be the first site people see when they search for information about your clan or family. In fact, COSCA found that less than a third (32%) of clan and family societies with websites were returned as the first choice in Google’s Search Engine Results Pages, or SERPs. Over two-thirds referred the user to a clan page on Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia resource. Even if your website is listed first in a Google search, you should harness the power of Wikipedia to educate and to reach potential new members – especially younger members. Of the 361 clans listed in Wikipedia (as of December 2022), 230 have links to the respective clan pages. The clan and family societies that are not currently included in Wikipedia are Clan Baird, Clan Bell, Clan Blackstock, Clan Blair, Brough Family, House of Burnett, Society of Scottish Clarks, Clan Currie, Clan Dunlop/Dunlap, Clan Ewen, Clan Irwin, MacAskill Sept, Clan MacCallum/Malcolm, Clan MacCord, MacDuffee Clan, Clan McAlister, Clan Muirhead, Clan Paisley, Clan Smith, Clan Thom(p)son, and Clan Wardlaw.
Most of the clans (115) with both Wikipedia pages and active websites have an “External Link” from the clan Wikepedia page to their websites. However, over 40 clans do not have such a direct link. These include the societies for the surnames: Abercromby, Agnew, Aiton, Anstruther, Barclay, Bethune, Bissett, Blackadder, Borthwick, Boswell, Boyle, Brough, Bruce, Buchan Cairns, Calder, Campbell of Breadalbane, Campbell of Possil, Carnegie, Cathcart, Charteris, Drummond, Forrester, Galbraith, Gordon, Irvine/Irving, Irwin, Leask, MacAlpine, MacAskill, MacDuffee, Maclaine of Lochbuie, Maclea, McAlister, Muirhead, Paisley, Pringle, Rollo, Skene, Thom(p)son, and Turnbull.
You can create a Wikipedia account to edit or add content on the clan page. You can edit the Wikipedia article either directly editing the “wiki markup language” (wikitext) or through the Wikipedia VisualEditor (VE). You can also create a new page.
Learn more about how to use Wikipedia in your educational and membership recruitment efforts here: https://www.cosca.scot/post/wikipedia QUICK NOTE: Don't forget to update your website copyright date to 2023! |
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Charity Begins at Home: Clan and Family Society Foundations and Charitable Giving Many clan and family societies not only serve their members but also fulfil the charitable responsibilities required by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS.) According to the 2022 COSCA membership survey, 13 societies reported separate but affiliated clan or family charitable foundation: American Clan Gregor Society; Armstrong Clan Society; Clan Baird Society Worldwide; Clan Campbell Society, N.A.; Clan MacAlpine Society; Clan Macaulay Association; Clan Maclean Association in the U.S.; Clan MacTavish; Clan Maitland Society; Clan Morrison Society of N.A.; Clan Young Society, Inc.; Family of Bruce International, Inc.; and Murray Clan Society of N.A. The American Clan Gregor Society Inc Charity and Education Fund offers educational assistance for descendants of MacGregors as well as others who have a Scottish or Scots-Irish heritage. Clan Baird Society Worldwide Foundation supports both preservation projects in Scotland and scholarships. The Baird Fire Scholarship is a program that helps foster and cared-for children around the world through a stock portfolio plan through a “529 plan,” also called a Qualified Tuition Program. Other societies offer restoration grants in Scotland. For example, the Clan Maitland Society of North America has funded the Thirlestane Castle Restoration Project. Clan Campbell Education Foundation Inc offers a variety of support for the Argyll Estates to support continued preservation, scholarships for students selected by St. Andrews University, North Carolina; and Clan Campell educational materials. Learn more here: https://www.cosca.scot/post/foundations |
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2023 Highland Games and Scottish Festivals United States Florida Keys Celtic Festival January 7-8, 2023; Marathon, Florida Central Florida Scottish Highland Games January 14-15, 2023; Winter Springs, Florida Tallahassee Highland Games February 11-12, 2023; Tallahassee, Florida Mount Dora Scottish Highland Festival February 18-19, 2023; Mount Dora, Florida Northeast Florida Scottish Games and Festival February 23, 2023; Green Cove Springs, Florida Check out the full list here: https://www.cosca.scot/games |
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Get Access to Member Services, the Private Side of the COSCA Website Everyone can sign up for this free monthly COSCA Update! Please spread the word to other friends and family members who are members of their Scottish heritage societies. Everyone also has access to COSCA's public website with timely blogs that aim to assist all Scottish heritage organizations and to an extensive "Find My Clan" database that will help people to learn more about their clans and perhaps encourage them to join their clan societies. However, the Member Services in the private section of the website are offered only to individuals in leadership positions within current COSCA organizational members. Current Organizational Member Delegates and Alternates can request access by clicking on the "Log In" icon on the top right of the home page or select "Member Login" in the drop-down menu under Member Services." Then click "please request access here" and provide information as directed. The direct link is www.cosca.scot/member-login. If you do not yet have access to the private side of the COSCA website, please ask your Authorized Representative or Delegate to add you to their society's list of leaders. If your organization is not yet a member but would like to join, click on the "Join" link on the drop-down menu under "Member Services." The direct link is https://www.cosca.scot/join. You will be asked for information about your society and be required to pay the annual $50 organizational member dues. Please note that Member Services are not available to individual members who pay $25 per year. Learn more here: https://www.cosca.scot/connect |
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Join or Renew Today Join the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations! We welcome clan and family groups, St. Andrew's Societies, local and national Scottish heritage organizations, games and festival organizers, and purveyors of Scottish goods and services. Your organization will receive our e-newsletter, gain access to the Members Services section of the website, become eligible to vote, and receive all other benefits of members. Scottish heritage societies are stronger together! Thanks to our Organizational Members who have renewed in December 2022: Dec 5, 2022 - House of Burnett Dec 29, 2022 - Clan Macneil Association of America Dec 30, 2022 - Clan Crawford Association Dec 31, 2022 - American Scottish Foundation Dec 31, 2022 - Clan Young Society Dec 31, 2022 - Clan Donald USA Dec 31, 2022 - Clan MacLellan Worldwide Dec 31, 2022 - Clan Napier of North America Dec 31, 2022 - Clan Maxwell Society Dec 31, 2022 - Kennedy Society of North America Dec 31, 2022 - Clan Macneil Association of America Join or renew here: https://www.cosca.scot/join |
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